Automatic locking means for squeeze rolls and the like



Feb. 18, 1958 D. s. WARNER 2,823,535

AUTOMATIC LOCKING MEANS FOR SQUEEZE ROLLS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 25, 1955 INVENTOR. 00mm 5 WARNER ATTOFNE Y5 Feb. 18, 1958 D. s. WARNER 2,823,535

AUTOMATIC LOCKING MEANS FOR SQUEEZE ROLLS AND THE LIKE Filed April 25, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

DONALD 5 WARNER BY WM W A 7'7'0/PNEYS Feb. 18, 1958 D. s. WARNER 2,823,535

AUTOMATIC LOCKING MEANS FOR SQUEEZE ROLLS AND THE LIKE Filed April 25, 1955 s Sheets-Sheet 3 [N VEN TOR. DONALD 5. WARNER Q 1i N BY q L1 fimqw mu ATTORNEYS AUTOMATIC LOCKING MEANS FOR SQUEEZE ROLLS AND THE LIKE Donald S. Warner, Williamstown, Mass., assignor to James Hunter Machine Company, North Adams, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 25, 1955, Serial No. 503,737

13 Claims. (Cl. 68-258) This invention relates to textile-treating apparatus of the type inlwhich a web of material is passed through the 'nip formed by a pair of squeeze rolls, .padder rolls or similar rolls. The invention has particular reference to an improved apparatus of the character described having automatic means for retaining one of the rolls separated from the other when the apparatus is not in use.

Apparatus of the type described, as commonly made, comprises a :roll mounted for rotation on a frame, and a second roll mounted for rotation on a pair of levers .pivoted 'on the frame, so that by actuation of the levers "the second roll is moved toward or away from the first roll. The levers are connected to :a suitable power source whichfis operable selectively by a control device such as a valve or switch. The control .device has a turned by ,gravity against the first roll, where it rests 'un'tilthe apparatus is again placed in operation andthe control device moved .to the lift position.

The present invention has for its principal object the provision of an improved apparatus of this character in which the lever-mounted roll is automatically h'eld separated from the other roll when the apparatus is not in use.

In an apparatus made according to the invention, a locking block is normally disposed in the path of at ."least one of the levers and is engagea'ble thereby .tohold "thelever-mounted roll spaced .from the .other roll. "This block is connected to an element for ishiftingthe block out of the'lever path,'whereby the power source is operable to movethe lever-mounted roll against its mating roll. The apparatusalso comprisesmeansfor connecting "the power source 1to'this shifting elementthrough .the

control device in response to movement of the latter 'to'its load,position, so that the locking block .is automatically shifted out .of 'its'lever-locking, position whenever the control device is ;operated to move one roll "against the-other- Upon movementofthe control device.

to "'its"lift position/the locking block is automatically returned into the vpath .of .the .lever, as by meansof a biasing memberconnected to the block. Thus, when the apparatus is subseguentlyshut .ofi, the locking block is *en'gag'edby the'lever to hold the rolls apart .indepen'dently of the'power source.

In its preferred construction, the apparatus jcomprises two locking blocks, one for ieachlever, connected to .a

"shiftingelementin the form of *abar'mounted oniithe frame for longitudinal -sliding moveme'nt parallel tothe "roll"axes. This bar is operable through a cylinder and United States Patent:

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piston from a pneumatic power source which also actuates the levers supporting the adjustable roll. The control device is a valve which connects the pneumatic power line to the bar-shifting cylinder in response to movement of the valve to the load position wherein the levers are pneumatically operated to move one roll against the in Fig. 1, showing its connections to the power source;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the valve for controlling the connections to the power source;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view through .part of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, showing the locking blocks associated Withthe levers, and

Fig. 5 is a schematc view in perspective showing the relationship between the locking blocks and the roll levers.

The apparatus as illustrated comprises .a frame 10 having two opposed side sections 11 and 12 for rotatably supporting the rolls, which may be squeeze rolls or the rolls of a padder. As shown, there are two such rolls 13 and 14, although it will be understood that at least one additional roll may be provided directly below the lower roll 13, as is common .in apparatus of this character. The two rolls 13 and 14 extend between the side frames 11 and 12, and the lower roll 13 is rotatably mounted at its ends in suitable bearings fixed to the respective side frames, the bearing for one end of this roll being located in a bearing housing 13a secured to the side frame 12, as shown in Fig. 1. The upper roll,14 is rotatably mounted at its ends in similar hearings ,on the free ends of levers 15 and 16 which are pivoted intermediate their ends on the side frames 11 and 12, respectively. As shown in Fig. '1, the lever 16 ,is mounted on a pivot 16a on the corresponding sideframe 12, and the free end of this lever carries a'housing 14a for the bearing in which the adjacent end of the upper roll 14 is supported for rotation. It will be understood that the other lever '15 is similarly pivoted on the side frame 11 and carries a similar housing for the other heating in which the uppor roll is mounted.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the top roll 14 may be lifted from the bottom roll 13 by depressing the ends of the levers remove from the top roll; and the top roll will return into contact with the bottom roll (or the web of material extending through the nip .between these rolls) when the levers-are-released.

The top roll levers 15 and 16 are adapted to'be actuated by piston rods 18 and 19secured to double-acting pistons 18a "and 19a slidable vertically in pneumatic cylinders 20 and 21, respectively. The upper ends of the rods 18 and 19 are pivotally connected to the levers 15 and 16, respectively, at the ends thereof remote from the top roll 14. The cylinders 20 and 21 are connected to a pneumatic power source 22 in the form of acompressed air line through a valve 23 which serves as a control device. As shownin Figs. 2 and 3, the valve 23 has a load position in which it connects the air line 22 to the lower. end por tions of the cylinders through a branch pipeline 24. The control valve 23 also'has a lift position in which it 3 connects the compressed air line 22 to the upper portions of the cylinders 20 and 21 through a branch pipeline 25. Thus, when the valve 23 is moved to its lift position by manual operation of its handle 23a, compressed air is admitted to the upper portions of the cylinders from the air line 22, and the lower portions of these cylinders are connected to atmosphere through a vent (not shown) in the valve 23, whereby the pistons 18a and 19a are forced downward so as to lift the top roll 14 from the bottom roll by swinging the levers 15 and 16 in one direction about their pivots. With the top roll thus spaced from the bottom roll, the web material (not shown) may be drawn freely between the rolls, for purposes well known in the art. Upon movement of the valve 23 to its load position, compressed air is admitted into the lower portions of the cylinders from the air line 22, and the upper portions of these cylinders are vented to atmosphere through the branch line 25 and valve 23. Consequently, the pistons 18a and 19a are forced upward so as to swing the levers 15 and 16 in the opposite direction about their pivots, thereby returning the top roll 14 intoengagement with the bottom roll 13 (or the web material extending through the nip formed by these rolls). The apparatus is now ready for operation, the top roll being held against the bottom roll under the pressure exerted by the pneumatic power source 22 through the pistons 18:: and 19a and the respective levers 15 and 16.

The valve 23, as shown in Fig. 3, also has an off position wherein it disconnects the compressed air line 22 from both ends of the cylinders 20 and 21. Valves functioning as herein described are well known in the art. For example, such a valve is described and illustrated in U. S. Patent No. 2,138,397 of E. Cannity, dated Nov. 29, 1938. Referring to said patent, it discloses a valve 63 corresponding to my valve 23 and having a fluid supply pipe 22, a waste pipe 67 corresponding to the previously mentioned vent (not shown) in my valve 23, and conduits 59 and 61 corresponding to my pipe lines 25 and 24, respectively, leading from the valve to the opposite ends of the cylinders. The valve-handle 69 of said patent corresponds to the valve-handle 23a of my valve 23.

The locking means of the present invention serve to prevent the gravity return of the top roll 14 against the bottom roll 13 when the apparatus is shut off. That is, without such locking means the movement of valve 23 from its lift position to its off position would result in the upper roll descending by gravity into contact with the lower roll due to leakage of compressed air from the pneumatic system; and this action would occur even when the control valve is left in its lift position, if the air pressure in line 22 is not maintained when the apparatus blocks 27 and 28 are disposed within the respective side frames where they are substantially in contact with overlying solid sections 11a and 12a, respectively, of these frames. The levers 15 and 16 are also pivotally mounted within the respective side frames and are so located that the end portions thereof connected to the piston rods 18 and 19 are directly under the locking blocks 27 and 28 when the latter are in their normal positions.

The locking blocks 27 and 28 are connected to the ends of a hollow rod or bar 29 extending through openings 11b and 12b in the opposing faces of the respective side frames 11 and 12. At one end, the bar 29 carries a projection 29a extending through a removable cover plate 11c, on the hollow side frame 11. At its opposite end, the bar 29 is provided with a fitting 29b to which a piston rod 30 is adjustably connected. threaded end which is screwed into the fitting 2%, the rod being held in its adjustable position in the fitting by means of a nut 30a. The rod 30 extends outward through As shown, the rod 30 has a.-

'4' an opening in the side frame 12 and into a pneumatic cylinder 31, where it is connected to a piston 32. A compression spring 33 is coiled around the rod 30 in the cylinder 31 and serves as a biasing member for urging the piston 32 outward against a stop (not shown) in the cylinder. In this stopped position of the piston 32, the locking blocks 27 and 28-are located in the paths of the respective levers 15 and 16, so that the blocks directly overlie these levers when the top roll 14 is in its raised position. The cylinder 31 is secured to the side frame 12 in any suitable manner.

Rotation of the bar 29 is prevented by means of a guide pin 34 secured to the side frame 11 and projecting into an opening 270 in the locking block 27. It will be understood that the bar 29 is mounted for longitudinal sliding movement parallel to the axes of the rolls 13 and 14, the guide pin 34 extending parallel to these axes so as to accommodate such sliding movement. The bar 29, which constitutes a shifting element for the locking blocks, is slidable within a stationary tube 35 secured at its ends to the opposing faces of the side frames 11 and 12 around the openings 11b and 12b- The cylinder 31 is connected at its outer end to the compressed air line 22 through the control valve 23 by means of a pipe line 37 leading from the branchline 24. Consequently, when the valve 23 is moved to its load position, compressed air is admitted to the lower portions of the cylinders 20 and 21 and also to the outer portion of the cylinder 31. As a result, the piston 32 is moved to the left .(Fig. 4) against the action of spring 33 so as to move, the shifting element 29 and the locking blocks 27 and 28 to the left, whereby the locking blocks are displaced from the paths of the respective levers 1S and 16, as indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 4. This displacement of the locking blocks will occur before the levers 15 and 16 can engage the blocks, since movement of the top roll 14 from its fully raised position (where it is held when valve 23 is in the lift position) is delayed by the restriction of the escape of compressed air from the upper portions of cylinders 20 and 21 through the restricted vent opening in valve 23. Thus, when valve 23 is moved from the liftito the load position, the restriction on the venting of air from the upper portions of cylinders 20 and 21 will delay the lowering of top roll 14 so that by the time thepower-operated ends of levers 15 and 16 have been raised to the positions shown in Fig. 4, the locking blocks 27 and 28 will have been displaced by piston 32 from the paths of these levers, so that the top roll can be forced downward against the bottom roll. The positions which the locking blocks occupy when they have been thus displaced from the paths of the levers are indicated by the broken lines in Figs. 4 and 5.

Upon movement of the control valve 23 from the 'load to the lift, position, the top roll 14 is raised pneumaticallyfrom the. bottom roll through the action 7 of the pistonsj18a' and 19a in swinging the levers in the correspondingdirection. on their pivots. as previously described. At the same time. the shift cylinder 31 is disconnected from .the air line 22. since the load" line 24 to which cylinder 31 is connected is now vented to atmosphere through the restricted vent opening in valve 23 Consequently, the spring 33 moves the shi ting element 29 and 'the'locking blocks 27 and 28 to the right. as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, whereby the locking blocks are returned to their locking positions above the adjacent ends of the levers.

When the control valver23 is moved from the lift to the off position. the top roll 14 will slowly descend by gravity from its fully raised position. as previously described. However. engagement of the top roll with the bottom roll is now prevented by the locking blocks 27 and 28. which are engaged by the adjacent ends of levers 15 and 16 (Figs. '4 and 5) while the top roll is still raised somewhat from the bottom roll. Accordingly, throughout the period in which the apparatus is not in was,

use, the locking blocks are interposed between the levers 15 and 16 and the overlying solid sections 11a and 12a of the side frames, so that the rolls 13 and 14 are held apart.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described having a frame, a roll mounted for rotation on the frame, a pair of roll levers pivoted on the frame, a second roll mounted for rotation on said levers and extending in substantially parallel adjacent relation to the first roll, a power source connected to the levers, and a control device connected to the power source for selectively operating the power source to swing each lever back and forth through a path and thereby move the second roll into and out of engagement with the first roll, the combination of a bar extending substantially parallel to the roll axes and mounted on the frame for longitudinal sliding movement, a pair of locking blocks on the bar normally disposed in the paths of the respective levers and engageable thereby to hold the second roll spaced from the first roll, the power source being operable on the levers to swing them in one direction away from the blocks and thereby increase the spacing between the rolls, and an element connected to the bar for shifting it longitudinally to move the blocks out of the paths of the levers, whereby said power source is operable on the levers to swing them in the opposite direction and thereby move the second roll against the first roll.

2. The combination according to claim 1, comprising means operatively connecting the power source to the shifting element through said control device.

3. The combination according to claim 1, comprising means operatively connecting the power source to the shifting element through said control device, the control device having a first position wherein the power source swings the levers to move the second roll away from the first roll, and a second position wherein the power source operates said shifting element to move the blocks out of the paths of the levers and swings the levers to move the second roll against the first roll.

4. The combination according to claim 1, comprising means operatively connecting the power source to the shifting element through said control device, the control device having a first position wherein the power source swings the levers to move the second roll away from the first roll, and a second position wherein the power source operates said shifting element to move the blocks out of the paths of the levers and swings the levers to move the second roll against the first roll, the control device also having a third position wherein the power source is inoperable on the levers, the combination including also a biasing member operatively connected to the bar for shifting it longitudinally to return the blocks into the lever paths in response to movement of the control device to its third position.

5. In an apparatus of the character described having a frame including two opposed sections, a roll extending between said sections and mounted thereon for rotation, a pair of roll levers pivoted on the respective frame sections, a second roll mounted for rotation on said levers and extending in substantially parallel adjacent relation to the first roll, a power source, a first connection from said source to the levers for swinging each lever back and forth through a path, and a control device connected to the power source and having a first position wherein the power source swings the levers in one direction to move the second roll away from the first roll, a second position wherein the power source swings the levers in the opposite direction to move the second roll against the first roll, and a third position wherein the power source is inoperable on the levers, the combination of a pair of locking blocks normally disposed in the paths of the respective levers and engageable thereby to hold the second roll spaced from the first roll independently of said first connection, an element connected to the blocks for shifting them out of the paths of the levers, whereby the power source is operable in said second positron of the control device to move the second roll against the first roll, and means operatively connecting the power source to the shifting element through said control device.

6. The combination according to claim 5, in which said connecting means are arranged to connect the power source to the shifting element through the control device in said second position thereof.

7. The combination according to claim 5, comprising means operatively connected to the locking blocks for returning them into the paths of the levers in response to movement of the control device from its second position.

8. The combination according to claim 5, comprising a bar mounted on said frame sections for longitudinal sliding movement substantially parallel to the roll axes, the locking blocks being mounted on the bar, and the bar being connected to said shifting element.

9. In an apparatus of the character described having a frame including two opposed sections, a roll extending between said sections and mounted thereon for rotation, a pair of roll levers pivoted on the respective frame sections, a second roll mounted for rotation on said levers and extending in substantially parallel adjacent relation to the first roll, a cylinder and a double-acting piston therein connected to one of the levers, a fluid pressure source, and a control valve connecting said source and cylinder and adapted to be positioned selectively to admit pressure fluid into one or the other end portion of the cylinder for moving the second roll toward or away from the first roll by swinging the levers back and forth through a path, the combination of a locking block nor mally disposed in the path of said one lever and engageable thereby to hold the second roll spaced from the first roll, a second cylinder and a piston therein connccted to the locking block for moving the block out of said path, and means for connecting said source to the second cylinder through said valve when the valve is positioned to move the second roll toward the first roll.

10. The combination according to claim 9, comprising means for returning the block into said path in response to positioning of the valve to move the second roll away from the first roll.

11. In an apparatus of the character described having a frame, a pair of rolls mounted for rotation on the frame and disposed in substantially parallel adjacent relation to each other, one of the rolls being movable toward and away from the other roll, a power source, and an operating connection from the power source to said movable roll and including a lever pivoted on the frame and through which the power source is operable to displace the movable roll toward and away from the other roll, the combination of a locking block independent of said operating connection and having a locking position in which the block is in the path of and engageable by said operating connection to hold said movable roll spaced from the other roll, an element connected to said block for shifting said block from said path to an unlocking position wherein the power source is operable through said connection to displace the movable roll against the other roll, and a second operating connection from the power source to said shifting element for actuating said element to shift the block to its unlocking position.

12. The combination according to claim 11, comprising biasing means independent of said connections and urging the block toward its locking position.

13. The combination according to claim 11, comprising biasing means independent of said connections and urging the block toward its locking position, and a control device connected to the power source and having a first position wherein said source is operable through said first connection to displace said movable roll away from the other roll and wherein the source is operable through said second connection to cause said biasing means to hold the block in its locking position, the control device having a second position wherein said source is operable through said first and second connections to displace the movable roll against the other roll and to actuate the shifting element, respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kutter Aug. 11, 1931 Brockett Feb. 7, 1933 Cannity Nov, 29, 1938 Malkin Apr. 28, 1942 Belcher a Aug. 5, 19 52 

